South Africa has deployed the army around power stations to prevent sabotage as the energy crisis worsens and power cuts increase, utility Eskom and the presidency said on Saturday.
Power cuts have been regular for fifteen years in the most industrialized country on the continent, but the situation has worsened this year with daily cuts of several hours imposed by the electricity supplier Eskom.
“Eskom can confirm that the SANDF (South African National Defense Force) is being deployed,” the state electricity supplier said.
Eskom “hosted deployments at four sites,” it added in a statement.
The deployment of the army aims to prevent “sabotage” and the “theft” of coal and diesel from power stations, Vincent Magwenyale had previously explained to the press on the sidelines of the conference of the African National Congress (ANC), door -spoken by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
This year’s record power cuts have cost the South African economy hundreds of millions of dollars, profoundly destabilizing trade and industry.
They provoke the anger of the population, the repeated cuts totaling more than 11 hours on certain days.
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter announced his resignation this week, citing corruption and crime as the main challenges facing the electricity supplier.